(It was a day for hat-wearing and celebrating at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday for the annual Indiana Derby Day festivities / Photos by Coady Photography)

Often, I write, about the wonderful experiences that I have enjoyed at the newly named, yet the same ole’ heart-warming, Horseshoe Indianapolis racing venue in the middle of Farmland, USA — better known as Shelbyville, IN.

The drive along the little country roads that I journey each and every time put me in the middle of a world where I truly think we all would be better people; in the middle of a lifestyle and pace of life that benefits both the soul and the mind; in the middle of the road where you just want to stop, step outside and take a deep, deep breath of air worth breathing deep and long.

The arrival is always greeted with welcomes from people who seem to know me as if I went to church and sat on the same pews with their parents; shop at their grand-parents country store; and see at the local diner every Friday night. They always smile and call me by name, if though I am so old now that I can’t remember theirs.

And, it seems, that every second I spend before having to depart is like the times I used to sit on my own grand-parents front porch swing on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Comfortable. Kind. Relaxing. Enjoyable. Fun. Memorable.

On Saturday, I got to do it all over again.

On Saturday, I got to go to Horseshoe Indianapolis for Indiana Derby Day.

The crowd was a bit bigger, swarming each and every corner of the country-store track. The music was a little livelier, beating to its’ own drummer. The early raindrops gave way to splendid sunshine, warming both body and soul, about the same time as the grooming tractors with their combs attached gave way to horses and riders.

On Saturday, I got to celebrate why horse racing is such an intoxicating sport with people I love and know and many more whom I don’t know a single thing about — other than they were there, too, to enjoy the greatest show on Earth.

Once again, it was:

Comfortable. Kind. Relaxing. Enjoyable. Fun.

Most of all, it was memorable. Again.

For just kicks and giggles, here are a few of my thoughts and memories from this year’s version of the Indiana Derby Day.

The Best Racing Performances on the Day?

In order, I will rate them as follows, with my beautiful wife, Leigh Ann, providing the “thumbs each” for each:

First, is Interstatedaydream, in winning the G3 Indiana Oaks. 

In the middle of the stretch, and with just about a furlong or so to go in this 11/16-mile race, you may have disagreed with this opinion and assertion. The heavily bet and profoundly favored filly, who had easily put away her stablemate Patna, suddenly found herself in the middle of a serious challenge with Runaway Wife, one of two entered by trainer Ken McPeek.

For a deep breath or two, it seemed as if there may be an upset in the making. For a gulp or two, it seemed as if Interstatedaydream may be in the middle of a nightmare for her connections, who have become so used to winning and celebrating.

But it was just for a second. Or two.

Interstatedaydream, who had won the G2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico in her previous race, found a gear and her guts just when she needed them both. And, just like that, and before you could fully pronounce her full name, Interstatedaydream turned a head-bobbing race into a run-away 21/4-length victory.

Presto.

Im-pressive-to.

Don’t know where the other six fillies who ran behind her will end up next or what accomplishments they will be able to garner in the future, but I do know that Interstatedaydream is legit. She has talent. She has speed. She can stalk. She can respond when asked. And, on Saturday, she showed the one ingredient that you can’t determine until a fight ensues. She has guts. Lots of guts.

After the race, both the talented trainer, Brad Cox, and the always affable owner, Stanton Flurry, didn’t know the exact path their filly will explore next. It may be Saratoga and possibly the G1 Alabama Stakes. It could be Monmouth Park and the Cotillion Stakes. It could be Woodbine, since the filly is Ontario-bred.

But they knew a little more, too.

They knew that their filly was getting better and may be ready for the next step upward and onward. They also knew that their filly was getting about ready to go hoof-to-hoof with some of the best in a very deep and talented crop of 3YO fillies like KY Oaks winner Secret Oath or Belmont Stakes runner-up Nest.

They knew that their filly may be a lot more like the grand Shedaresthedevil, who both Flurry and Cox have tutored for the past several years, than they may have realized.

They knew that their filly has the guts to match her immense talent.

And, that can be a very good combination.

Second, is Ivar, in winning the Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes.

Going into Saturday’s non-Graded Stakes event over the green, green grass of home, the 6-year-old Brazilian-bred son of the Japanese stallion Agnes Gold was a real mystery, of sorts. After all, he had not started a race since he was a surprising 3rd and beaten less than 2 lengths in the 2021 version of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. After all, he had not won a single race since winning the G1 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland in October of 2020. After all, the bay horse had started only 11 times in his entire career.

There was no mystery after Saturday.

After languishing in 6th place for much of the 11/16-mile Stakes on Saturday, veteran rider Joe Talamo finally let loose of the reins in the stretch and the 6YO mowed down the grass in front of him and the competition, too, en route to one of the easiest an most convincing 1-length victories you will ever see.

In the end, Ivar was simply over-powering.

In truth, Ivar was easily the best.

It will be fun to watch what trainer Paulo Lobo — who did a masterful job of getting Ivar ready off the bench for this one — will do the rest of the year on what easily could be another trip to the Breeders’ Cup.

It is already fun talking about possible Breeders’ Cup horses using Horseshoe Indianapolis as a launching pad.

Isn’t it?

Third is Best Actor, runner-up in the G3 Indiana Derby:

You may wonder how this can be. You may rub your head thinking how can the 2nd-place horse be more impressive than the winner? You may even question my sanity. Legit on all three points. I do the same thing with the third sentence, all the time. And, that young gal pictured just above? Well, she has the same questions. Every day.

But in watching the race live from the rail on Saturday, and revisiting the replay on multiple occasions now, I am totally convinced of two things:

One, Best Actor was the best 3YO in the G3 Indiana Derby on Saturday. Easily. The best.

Two, the winner — Actuator — should have been disqualified by the Indiana Stewards for significant and multiple interferences at the beginning of the Stakes that impacted several horses, and truly eliminated the favorite from any serious effort.

Let’s start with Best Actor, who came into the Indiana Derby with back-to-back wins to start what could be a celebrated race career.

The son of Flatter broke the maiden in the first start at Oaklawn Park and then returned off a two-month break to win an allowance at Churchill Downs. In the last one, he drew off to win by over 4 lengths in a 1-mile event over the main track when it was converted from the grass.

On Saturday, Best Actor drew towards the outside in a modest field of 8. At the start, the colt — who figured to be in a close-up stalking and pressing position early on — stumbled at the gate. As soon as jockey Florent Geroux was able to help his pal correct the first fault and gain both composure and running stance, he was slammed on the outside by the eventual winner. If that wasn’t enough, the slam on the right side pushed Best Actor further inward and into the right shoulder of the unfortunate post-time favorite, Rattle N Roll, who was completely shut off and immediately eliminated from any serious contention in the race, altogether.

Best Actor, trying to recover from the awkward and the punch-drunk banging, drifted four and then five wide into the first turn. All of that may have been enough to disarm and discourage a normal horse. Especially one making just his third career start.

But, amazingly and to his credit, the horse came coming. He kept trying. He kept running.

Yet?

To make matters even worse and more perplexing is that Actuator — who gained a tremendous edge at the beginning and went on to carve out the perfect trip just outside two pretenders on the front end — was not done with bullying.

As Best Actor — who made his last move going 4 or 5 wide, yet again, and on the final turn — came shoulder-to-shoulder with Actuator at the 1/16th pole. It was then when Actuator drifted a bit and began to bump with his most serious competition and foe. After several scrapes, Actuator slipped to the finish line first to pull off the upset over a very determined and still trying Best Actor.

The blows came early. They were significant, IMO. The blows came late. They were rather inconsequential, IMO. The Stewards supposedly looked at the beginning. Best Actor’s rider made sure they looked at the finish when he filed an objection.

But?

The Stewards rejected all.

Actuator was the “official” winner.

Truth is, in my view, the best horse in the G3 Indiana Derby was and still is Best Actor. No matter the “official” outcome. No matter that the Stewards swallowed the whistle. No matter what.

Stay tuned. My guess is that you have not seen the last of Best Actor, who had to settle for best supporting role on this Saturday. My guess he shows up again and makes an Award-winning performance.

Fourth, Mr. Wireless, winner of the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes:

Just a year ago, on the biggest day of racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Mr. Wireless had one of his biggest days ever, too. The son of Dialed In was fully, well, dialed in. He won the 2021 version of the G3 Indiana Derby.

On this Saturday, Mr. Wireless returned to one of his most favorite spots. And, he returned to one of his best efforts. Off just one start since 2021, and a rather disappointing one at that, Mr. Wireless was wired up and wired in. Again.

Trained to perfection by W. Bret Calhoun — one of the best horsemen to ever coach a Thoroughbred — Mr. Wireless came from just off the pace to impress and defeat a stellar field — which included the likes of Graded Stakes winner Helium and Graded Stakes-placed South Bend.

After winning the 2021 Indiana Derby, Mr. Wireless went on to win the G3 West Virginia Derby in the next outing. Don’t be shocked if the 4YO gelding does something similar in the near future.

The Poorest Performances of the Day?

(Trainer Brad Cox and rider Florent Geroux after losing the G3 Indiana Derby. Rider James Graham, who rode Actuator,  explained his side of the story to the Stewards, too, who found no disqualification was warranted / Photos by Gene McLean)

Well, in my view, that ends in a “Dead Heat.”

First, there is the matter of the Stewards.

As we have previously described, the Indiana Stewards fumbled the biggest call of the day and bumbled the biggest race on the card. They should have disqualified Actuator in the Indiana Derby. From my perspective, there is no question about it. No. Question. But I understand that others may disagree.

Granted, disqualifications at the start of races are not common. Most of the time, disqualifications come for actions later in races. But that does not mean that the Stewards should not watch the entire race. It does not mean that the Stewards should not act in cases that do involve the very beginning. And, it does not mean that disciplinary and punitive actions should never come at the start. Especially when a horse is completely taken out of the race just two strides into it.

Not only did Actuator break in at the start and bang into Best Actor, making serious contact and compromising that horse, the horse’s swerve caused Best Actor to subsequently ram into the post-time favorite, Rattle N Roll, and cut that horse off just two strides into a nightmarish start.

In fact, Rattle N Roll was cut off so significantly that the horse’s rider lost both stirrups and simply galloped into the first turn and completely out of any serious contention.

The sport counts on the Stewards to maintain order, both on the racetrack and off. On Saturday, the Indiana Stewards failed to maintain order on the track. And, truthfully, both the owners of Rattle N Roll and the bettors deserve better. The game demands better.

But this “dead heat” for “poor performance” has to be shared with some of the connections of Actuator, who stormed the winner’s circle immediately after the finish of the G3 Indiana Derby, ignoring security and the fact that the Stewards had put up the “inquiry sign” soon upon the completion of the race.

As soon as the raucous group noticed that there could be a disqualification, and their horse may, in fact, not be the winner, then some of their behavior turned the winner’s circle from a sacred ground for happy celebrations into a debate from a United States Congressional Committee. In other words? Ugly.

As jockey Florent Geroux made his way to the telephone to talk to the Stewards about his objection, several members of the winning group began to yell at the rider on Best Actor. The cat calls were so loud that Geroux had trouble talking and listening. Graham and Geroux exchanged a few comments, too. At one point, some wondered if the bumping incidents that started the race were going to continue in the circle.

The Stewards, who should have witnessed this behavior, as well, could still call the owners of Actuator and demand an accounting of the behavior immediately following the race. And, they should.

After all, the Stewards are responsible for maintaining order both on the racetrack and off. After failing to maintain order on the track, they still have a chance to remedy the second issue.